Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1887-10-28
A BOOK WORMS DEN.
THE QUEER PEOPLE WHO HAVE A
MANIA FOR OLD VOLUMES.

Inc otner DAY as an cid man with a bt,-
neNolent looking face and long white hair
passed out of the store with two very old
and Very valuable books under his arm
His face bore a hook Of contentment and
he seemed 10 be satisfied with himself
and all the world. 1 watched him until
he boarded Broadway car and sat down
To 2lost over his latest possessions The
sight WAS fascinating. and ! gazed AT the
fast disappearing car until the voice of
the clerk called me back from a mental
vision Of old musty shelves filed with
older and muster books. whose bindings
time has fringed and scalloIeSi with a gen
eruus hand.
RATHER interesting to look AZ a real
book worm, isn't il" said the clerk.
You hear people call each other book
worms simply because they are always
reading, hut they are not true. musty
smelling book worms. What are they,
What's the genuine articles Well. I'll
tell You. \ genuine book worm is "a man
or woman (which latter is rarely the case)
who goes To a book store once or twice n
week, without knowing just what he
wants. He has no definite idea of buyiny
anything. but hfore he knows it he has
one or two good books. They come TO see
if anything new has been received; IL So.
and II il interesting, they buy it, and
never object TO the price As rule they
are men past middle age, but there are
sor',e young men who are studying for a
profession, hut they usually buy only
those books which treat of the profession
they are studying. Then We have some
doctors and lawyers who are confirmed
book worms. Altogether / think there
are about 100 book worms in New York.
ard about eighty of them are regular Gus
TONERS Of ours
\ strange fact in connection with book
worms, the clerk said, was that they very
seldom visited the public libraries. They
think that if book is interesting enough
to read il Is interesting enough TO buy,
and buy IL they do, even if they have To
deny themselves the necessaries of life to
raise money enough TO ge, the book.
But are they not great and inslffer-
able bores." | asked the clerk. as I
thnmbed disreputable looking copy Of
an old Latin prayer book that bore the
date 1919. The clerk smiled.
''lsoreSr l should say not. do not
think there is a bookseller in this city
who would be hard hearted enough to
book worm that pays him a
professional visit. In fact, they will
gladly put up with the worms quips
and fancies in order In have his trade
Why. l know bookseller who refused to
sell AN old Bible-one that was yellow
with age-just because he saw a worm
looking at il the day before: and he WAS
-. l,, 81,
now is regular customer. It's a pity.
too, for he spends every cent he can get
for looks. old books, new books, and
books, books, books seem to be the only
things he lives for"
While speaking Of book worms in gen-
eral, an old man entered the store. fol
lowed by younger one. The old man
looked NASTY himself and the clerk
whispered:
There is one Of the antiquarians-a
genuine worm. That young man is a
worm, too Now, il We approach him
gently, ! think the old gentleman will
give you some tips. He's one of the mos,
confirmed WORMS | ever saw, and, al
though he wears shabby clothes, he lives
fairly well. He spends fully $1,000 a
year on lIoks. and manages To live on
frSm 800 to SJ0 He's genuine" . d
The old gentleman was introduced, and
talked freely abOut his hobby, winding up
by inviting he 10 inspect his collection.
As left, the clerk said: Now, you'l see
$4,000 worth of books. Don't ask too
many questions. and when he gets started
keep quiet and listen To him. He'll tell
you all he knows"
The old gentleman was Clesterfeldian
in his politeneSs, and as gallant as the
knights You read about in the medieval
ages. Uptown in the elevated to One
Hundred and Twenty fifth street we Went.
and then To One Hundred and Thirty
second street near Eighth avenue Here
is little two-story building, and this was
/ he book worm home The old gentle
man apulociZeIl fer his untidy house. and
conducted me To his den. n room in the
second story. Books and bOSSs and
books, Did ever see so many books out
side of boob store What jolly miG-
night lunches the worms and the mice
and the moths must have among those
,uusty. time decorated. dust hidden vol
urles would live in One Hundred and
Thirty second street near Eighth avenue
were | a mouse The little old man looked
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was now like the dust that covered the
book. The lines were ghastly in their
fantastic tracery.
This Is a Eibla Sacra Latina" he said.
at was printed in Venice, and is what
n Y Il,
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